Spü- “Deluge”

I’m well aware we’re in the midst of a daily series of video posts about Beer Camp. However, it can’t be all beer videos all the time, can it? I’m keeping up with my need to write as well as my need to act like an ass on camera. With that out of the way, welcome to a review of Spü’s self-released debut, Deluge. With production by sonic mastermind Colin Marston, one could hardly imagine this as a first offering, as it’s more fully formed than many albums bands create well into their careers. While a slight deviation from typical BM&B fare, Deluge has been among my most regularly played albums both in the home and in my headphones when traveling around town. Why? It’s a feeling, a connection.

I’ll remind my readers now of my recent post about my depression. It’s a serious read, but it gives this review greater context. Throughout Deluge there is an underlying theme of self-doubt and a temptation to make one’s own situation worse. It’s a sentiment and self-destructive tendency I can relate to all too well. Whether it’s the weary call for finding the will to move onward in “Machination” or the willingness to slip into misery because it feels familiar and secure in “Comfort in My Collapse,” I often feel like the lyrics to Deluge were culled from some of my deepest periods of anxiety and depression. Still, this isn’t an album that allows despair to reign supreme. There is a constant call to strength and victory that comes out even stronger, and I think that’s what has made this album stick with me so strongly.

At this point, I’ve said little about the musical content, which may be doing Spü a slight disservice. I find it a bit hard to put my finger on the strange hybrid of Spü’s music, but that’s what makes it so exciting. With elements of Mastodon’s first couple albums, a dash of the ambiance of Emperor, and some of the groovy heft of the first Torche EP, Spü are making music that has timeless components yet cannot be directly compared to anything else happening right now. To me, this sounds like it’s going to be a pacesetter for more accessible styles of extreme music in the next year or two, as it’s got every bit of passion, intensity, and heaviness that fans of metal seem to crave. The vocals are urgent and aggressive without being indecipherable, and while the music’s pace is often frantic, they don’t let it get in the way of a good riff. Indeed, I can practically see the sweat drenching the band members as they perform and I can feel the excitement of being in the crowd that I used to feel when I was more preoccupied with attending concerts than with sitting and trying to write my thoughts about music. I think that’s the point here. With Deluge, Spü have forcibly removed me from my typical critical viewpoint and placed me back into the enthusiastic, excitable mind of myself at age 21, when I was attending three local concerts a week and losing myself in the moment instead of trying to decide whether something was worth my time or not. This is exciting and engaging, but with a sense of depth that allows repeated listens.

Interested in a copy of this excellent tape? Grab a copy from Spü’s bandcamp and keep an eye out for future updates. They also make some pretty sweet shirts, which you may have noticed me wearing in a recent video. Grab one of each and mark yourself as the trendsetter your friends already know you are.

About The Author

Ben

Black Metal & Brews is a website run by Ben. As the curator and author of 99.9% of the content on this site since 2012, Ben's dedication and love of music and finely crafted beer have kept this site running. Ben's other interests include coffee, video games, and spending time with Jareth the cat.